Conventional backpacks include a frame which is carried by the hiker by means of straps which pass over his shoulders, and an encircling belt. The unit is fitted to the hiker by selection of the places where the straps are attached to the frame and adjusting their length, and by selecting the places where the belt is attached to the frame, the selected locations meaning the place of attachment along an upright dimension. This gives the unit some adaptability to the individual hiker, but it is in the sense of a one-time fit.
To the serious backpacker, the reduction of fatigue is a matter of prime importance. Reducing fatigue in effect lengthens his day because he can accomplish more in addition to the basic chore of carrying his equipment along with him. This invention, while of utility to any backpacker, is principally directed toward the serious, high performance backpacker whose efforts will generally be exerted at or near his personal maximum.
While the single fit described above for conventional backpacks can, of course, be adjusted from time to time, this is a time-consuming and therefore an undesirable thing. It is an object of this invention to provide to the backpacker a device which can be adjusted on a "running", on-going basis, to vary the share of the load carried by the torso and shoulders, to carry forwardly-mounted counterbalancing loads whose effective moment can also be adjusted on an on-going basis, and to provide hand-holds which are convenient to the hiker that enable him further to adjust the balance of the load on a temporary basis.